Break Away
by blue3ski
Summary: Sequel to Don't Go Breaking My Heart. James, Lily, Sirius, Nicole, and Remus have finally graduated from Hogwarts. They buy a house together and begin the search for jobs. Unexpected pets, annoying first years, bad hairdos, and book sales come their way
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey, I'm back! I've finally finished Strange Magic, and it's time to deliver on what I promised before.

Disclaimer: I will only be saying this once throughout the entire story—the wizarding world and most of the characters belong to J.K.

Chapter 1

"I can't believe this is our last night at Hogwarts," Lily Evans mused.

Her boyfriend, James Potter, nodded mutely as he stared out the window.

They were up at the Astronomy Tower, James's favorite spot, gazing up at the stars for what might be the last time.

James rested his chin in his girlfriend's soft red locks as a crisp, cool breeze blew through his unruly black hair. "Funny, after tonight, there'll be no more pranking—"

"Since when has being or not being in school stopped you?" Lily turned her head to face James, incredulous.

"Well, it's just not going to be the same without dear Snivellus around…he's such a great victim."

"I'm sure you'll find a way to cope with such a terrible loss." Lily rolled her emerald-green eyes. "And for the millionth time, James, lay off him already."

"OK, OK, love."

"Actually _mean it_ for once." Lily turned back around and leaned against James.

xxxxx

It was the Hogwarts seventh-years' last breakfast at the school. As Lily spread marmalade on a piece of toast for James, Sirius Black, James's best friend, came bounding towards them.

"Moony, Prongs—I have got the most amazing news," he announced.

"What's that?" Lily asked suspiciously.

"I'm being evicted from my flat!"

"Forgive me for not quite understanding, Black, but exactly HOW is that supposed to be good news?"

James appeared to know, as did their mutual best friend Remus Lupin, who sat on Lily's other side, since they both looked highly excited.

"Yes! You hear that, Moony?" James said happily to Remus.

"Is everything all set?" Remus asked excitedly.

"Yeah. This is great, Padfoot!"

Lily was looking from one boy to the other like a spectator in a tennis match, trying to decipher what they were saying.

"Anyway, I'm off to join Nicole for a bit of toast—see you!" Sirius flounced away to the Ravenclaw table before Lily could ask what was going on.

"Sorry, love," James quickly said when he saw his girlfriend's annoyed expression. "It's just that, well, Moony and Padfoot and me are buying a house together!"

"Oh! That _is _great!" Lily exclaimed. "Hey…why didn't I know about this?" She shot a scorching glare at Remus.

"Um…I didn't want to say anything until it was all settled." Remus replied nervously.

James had suddenly gone very red.

"Why not?" Lily persisted.

James poked at his bacon, his face getting redder and redder. "Because…er…I'm…kindof…reallyhoping…um…well…erm…ah…"

"Just spit it out, Prongs," Remus mumbled around a large mouthful of egg and grilled tomato (and spraying some onto Lily's robes). "Let it out of your system."

"Keep your food to yourself, Remus," Lily said evenly as she Vanished the bits on her sleeve. "Yes, James?" she prodded gently.

James was now stabbing at his bacon with reckless abandon as he stared at his plate.

"Um…really…willyoumoveinwithme?"

xxxxx

"Eh?" Lily looked baffled.

"In slow motion, he said 'um…really…will you move in with me'," Remus explained helpfully.

Lily was stunned.

"You don't have to; you don't have to if you don't want," James spoke hurriedly. "I can provide for you—you don't have to pay for anything at all! I won't try anything, promise!"

Lily was still staring at James as though she had never seen him before.

"Yes, of course I will!" she burst out happily. "It'll be great!"

James looked immensely relieved. "You think?"

"Absolutely! Oh, James!"

Remus quickly dropped his fork and shielded his eyes. "No PDA, people—no PDA please."

"But I want to pay my own way, James," Lily told him, her tone serious.

"You don't have to, honest," James said. "It's no problem, Lily."

"It's only fair to you." Her voice was firm.

"Lily…"

"_No, _James." She looked very determined.

"OK, OK," James mumbled around the toast Lily jammed into his mouth.

Lily returned to her cornflakes, satisfied. "Is anyone else in?"

"I believe Sirius mentioned he was going to ask Nicole," Remus quipped.

"Oh, good."

They all turned to look at the Ravenclaw table with great interest.

xxxxx

"Good morning, Sirius!" Nicole Greenleaf jumped up and kissed her boyfriend on the cheek as he sat down beside her. (A girl two places down glared resentfully at her)

Flicking his wrist, he produced a stargazer, her favorite flower, from thin air. "For you," he said, kissing her back."Morning, love."

He appeared particularly nervous today, she noted as she watched him fiddling with her spoon, even more so than the day he showed up in Ravenclaw Tower with a bouquet of flowers and asked her to be his girlfriend.

"Um…Nicole…if I asked…would you deny me?" He widened his eyes.

She narrowed her eyes. "Only if I must."

Sirius had started shredding a piece of toast. "It's just that…OK, deep breath, Sirius…OK, Moony, Prongs, and I are getting a house together…anyway, I think Lily's in too…if you would like to…would you like to move in with us?"

"Well…OK. Why not? Sounds like fun."

He looked up in great relief. "Really?" His eyes shone.

"Yeah. I'll have to owl my dad, but I don't think he'll mind so much." Nicole felt a smile form on her face as Sirius beamed, realizing that she was the one who brought such a smile to his face.

Well, she knew, but it still amazed her day after day.

He swept her up into a hug. "Yes! You won't regret it, Nicole." A grin still on his face, he happily tore a bit of toast off and fed it to her.

Nicole, flushing, was distinctly aware of the whispers and glares heaped upon her by those who had overheard the conversation, but she found that she didn't care.

XXXXX

A/N: What do you think? looks nervous

Anyway, just a heads-up: You might find that this story takes a bit of a longer time to update, because I'm now in my freshman year of college, and incredibly busy.

I thank the Lord for the inspiration to write this sequel for you guys!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"No staying together at unnecessarily late hours, no going into each other's rooms except for cleaning unless your own room was blown to smithereens—scratch that, even if your room was blown into smithereens you still can't—" Mr. Evans was saying.

"No ritual animal slaughters of any kind, no drunken all-night parties—" Mr. Greenleaf added.

"Dad—honestly…" Nicole muttered.

James and Sirius nodded mechanically, as they had been doing for the past hour.

The lot had just been officially declared graduates of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Their parents (except James's, who had already died, and Sirius's, who had disowned him years ago) had attended the momentous occasion. It was a reunion for James and the Evanses (they had gotten to know each other a few months ago after James crashed their house quite literally to ask help in courting Lily) but it was Sirius's first time to meet Nicole's Muggle dad. Fortunately for Sirius and Nicole, he and her dad had gotten along famously (they had already made plans for Sirius to introduce Mr. Greenleaf to some of the beasts in the wizarding world).

"Lastly," Mr. Evans began.

"If we get a call from any of our daughters about any poor treatment—" Mrs. Evans continued.

"We _will_ get you," Mr. Greenleaf concluded pleasantly. "And don't think that just because we're Muggles, we can't do a thing to you."

"Hell hath no fury than a parent on a rampage," Remus quipped as he came up with his mum.

"The same goes for you, Remus—although I trust you," Mrs. Evans replied sweetly.

James sighed. "It hurts to be mistrusted by your girlfriend's parents."

"Be glad I'm not roasting you over a fire, James." Mr. Evans smacked a suddenly-uneasy-looking James on the back jovially. "So, George, how about a cuppa?" he asked, turning to Nicole's father.

"Why not?" Mr. Greenleaf patted Sirius one last time on the back. "See you Sunday, Sirius! And don't forget my puffskein!"

Mrs. Evans and Mrs. Lupin followed the men back to the castle, where refreshments were being served for family members who had come. The five teenagers sighed in relief.

"Alright, Sirius—did I hear my dad right? He wants you to get him a _puffskein?"_ Nicole asked, looking amused.

"Well, I told your dad a little about the puffskein Andromeda used to have (before Bellatrix used it as a test subject for her potion) and your dad reckoned it sounded adorable. Besides, it's not a problem—puffskeins are not very expensive," Sirius replied, flipping his black hair out of his eyes.

They all strolled towards the lake, taking spots beneath the Marauders' favorite tree. Lily watched the giant squid poke a tentacle out of the water.

"You know," she began, a lump beginning to form in her throat, "I really am going to miss this place."

James put an arm around her shoulders. "We all are. I hung Snivellus upside down right on this very spot, you remember? Ahhh, what lovely memories…"

Lily glared at him. "_Potter…"_

"Yes, yes, fine."

"You guys want to take one last stroll around before we go?" Remus proposed.

They all headed back up the castle and visited the now-bare Gryffindor common room, with its familiar red-and-gold walls and squishy armchairs. The fire in the elaborate fireplace in front of which they'd loved to sit was now dead and the usually-raucous room was eerily quiet, but it had been, and still brought the feeling of, home.

Lily and Nicole lingered in the doorway of Lily's old dormitory, which still bore the faintest trace of the smell of roses. With a mischievous grin as she recalled the event that had led to her dormitory smelling like that, Lily surreptiously pointed her wand at James's head, on which appeared a wreath of huge tropical flowers. Nicole tried to stifle a chuckle, but it was not long before both girls were laughing their heads off.

They headed next for the grounds (James still wearing his highly-unusual Roman headdress while Remus and Sirius, never ones to spoil a good joke, sniggered from behind), passing the very hallway in which Lily had been attacked—once by a bee and another time by a swarm of ants—courtesy of James (as she reminded him).

"That was an accident," James said petulantly. "_They_ didn't watch the chocolate." He shot a glare at his two best friends, who quickly rearranged their features into indignant expressions.

"Who told you to bewitch that chocolate?"

"Besides, we already got landed in the hospital wing for that, mate," Sirius grumbled. "Those bites _hurt_, you know."

"Serves you right." James retorted.

"Hey!"

As they passed the library, Remus threw himself at its doors. "Oh my love, I shall miss you."

The other four blinked.

"Once a geek, always a geek," Sirius muttered.

xxxxx

Nicole and Sirius had their moment on the grounds—mournfully saying goodbye to the plants that had brought them together in the first place.

Nicole stroked the leaf of a violet one last time before rising. A low crooning sound suddenly filled the air.

"Um, you guys hear that?" James asked uncertainly.

Lily and Remus were beaming. "Awww, the plants are going to miss you!"

"I feel so loved," Sirius sighed.

xxxxx

And of course, James was not able to keep from throwing himself upon the Quidditch pitch, which had for so long been his domain. He pulled Lily down along with him to lie on the fresh, dewy, sweet-smelling grass.

"Tsk, tsk, so uncivilized," Remus sighed. "Lily dear, good luck getting the grass stains out." With a wink, he went to join Sirius and Nicole on the bleachers.

"Who cares about grass stains?" James shot his most charming and irresistible grin at his girlfriend.

Lily had already sat up and was brushing blades of grass from her robes, but gave up and flopped back down into his arms when she was hit with that smile. Removing the wreath from his head, she beamed, her emerald-green eyes shining. "Not when you're around."

XXX

A/N: I would like to thank God for everything—especially helping me pass ALL MY SUBJECTS! Yay!

And many, many thanks to my reviewers **Laura, Gemm, LupinLover99** (hey, nice to see you again!), **Crimson Girl** (ditto!), and **Wilty**


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry for the late update! Pretty hectic week, and I had a bit of writer's block. Hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter 3

"This is the house?" Lily was staring in disbelief at the gloomy, rundown, weepy little hovel.

"It's…a real fixer-upper," Nicole finished lamely.

The house was so tiny, both girls wondered how five people would be able to fit. The windows hung crookedly out of place, and the wooden door was moldy—its hinges and doorknob red with rust. The siding was the color of very very old dust, and smelled like so.

"Looks excellent, doesn't it?" Remus quipped excitedly. He and the other two boys were just short of squealing like teenage girls at a boy band concert.

Sirius put his arm around as much of the two girls' shoulders as he could reach. "My dears, you honestly didn't think we'd let you live in something like that, did you? Of course not—especially after what we promised your dads." He gave his wand a little flick.

Lo and behold, the house morphed before their eyes. The grimy walls melted away into cream-colored siding. A second level erupted from the roof, and the mold-encrusted door turned into smooth, varnished red-brown wood and gleaming gold doorknob.

Lily's and Nicole's mouths fell open, small squeaks from the depths of which emerged.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" James remarked proudly. Lily nodded slowly.

"The plants!" Nicole squealed happily as a garden popped out of nowhere.

"I promised you a garden before, remember?" Sirius beamed at her joy. "I'm delivering on that."

On cue, James, Lily, and Remus slapped their hands over their eyes.

"I feel so left out," Remus complained. "Darn you couples."

"Well, you could always go join them—EEYOW!" James hopped on one foot as Lily's shoe connected hard with his shin.

"Thank you, Lils!" Remus gloated as he lowered his hands to watch James with amusement.

"What'd you do that for?" James whined.

"That's for your vile mind," Lily shot back.

They eventually made their way up the flower-flanked steps to the door. Remus tapped the doorknob smartly with his wand, and a loud whirring noise came from the door before it swung open.

"Gah! No!" The girls were aghast.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" James remarked proudly.

The outside of the house had looked sophisticated and elegant, but the interior couldn't be more different. All the furniture didn't match, the walls were varying shades of garish yellow and purple, the kitchen was bare, and it appeared that they were expected to have meals on the floor.

"That's it," Lily gasped and attempted to regain herself. "We're going shopping."

xxxxx

They Apparated to Berkman's, one of Hogsmeade's newest home stores. Lily and Nicole immediately headed for the furniture department and set about ordering.

"This is nice," Lily commented as she inspected a sand-colored couch. "Mood Couch. 'Self-adapting, color-changes to match your every mood.' "

"What happens if there are two contrasting moods?" Sirius looked very interested.

Lily raised her eyebrows. "I wouldn't know, Black, and neither will you." She pointed at the clerk slapping a sign onto the couch. "They're sold out."

They eventually decided on a lovely red couch, a good polished rosewood dining table and chairs, and new utensils and appliances for the kitchen. Their money nags considerably lighter, they made their way back home to begin the great renovation.

xxxxx

"Easy now!" Lily called out as James and Sirius struggled to wriggle the couch into place. Remus groaned as he shuffled by with a box of china in his arms (because the girls refused to let him just levitate it).

Nicole was in charge of shooting new color on the gaudy walls, which had now been transformed into a gentle butter-yellow shade.

"It looks fine already," James grumbled as Lily motioned for him to move the couch a little more to the left.

"James, I saw how well you men did with the decorating. So I think I'm going to go with me."

They worked next with the kitchen—arranging, tearing down, and cleaning. Lastly, they fixed up the house's three bedrooms, followed by the first-ever house fight.

"This is a great bedroom," Remus remarked as they entered a corner bedroom. It was very cozy and comfy, breezy, and had a window seat just overlooking Hogsmeade.

"Yeah…it _is _nice. OK, Nicole and I get dibs on this one! Lily announced.

"WHAT? Hey, I saw it first!"

"Yeah, but I claimed it first…"

"It's mine!"

"Ladies first, Remus."

"That's not a valid argument, Lily."

"People…people!" James quickly leapt between the pair. "Calm down. Love, I think you can let Moony have this one—Sirius and I have set aside a room just for you. If you'll follow me…"

They traipsed a little down the hallway, then James threw open the next door they saw.

"Oh, wow!" Nicole exclaimed.

"It is beautiful!" Lily agreed.

"Ha!" Remus crowed. "I win!"

The room was very spacious. It didn't have a window seat, but the two windows provided excellent views and cool winds. The walls were painted avocado green, and it was very well-cleaned.

"Oh, Remus, I'm so sorry!" Lily threw her arms around her best friend's neck and hugged him. "This is wonderful…thank you guys so much…"

James pouted. "Don't I get a hug too? I helped!"

Lily stood on tiptoe and gave him a quick kiss. "You get better."

In a few moments' time, the rooms had been straightened out—James and Sirius had plastered Quidditch paraphernalia (and hair care products) from wall to wall, Remus had set up several bookshelves for his personal library and attached heavy drapes to his window, and Lily and Nicole had their room teeming with books, clothes, and hairbrushes.

"We did all this in one day?" Nicole breathed in awe as they stood, dusty, dirty, and exhausted but content (and for the boys, relieved), in the newly-scrubbed foyer.

"We are _good_," Sirius remarked, sliding an arm around his girlfriend's waist.

"You know…I feel _really_ good about all that we've accomplished today," James said slowly. He waggled his eyebrows. "We deserve something…like a night on the town? My treat."

"Sounds good," Remus agreed.

"You're on," the rest chorused.

They ran off to make themselves ready for their celebration.

xxxxx

"Oof!" James squeaked as he narrowly avoided a particularly short wizard. Breathing hard, he managed to plunk the tray of drinks onto the table. "Whew…remind me to never volunteer to get the drinks ever again…Butterbeer for Greenleaf, here you go…chocolate shake for Lily, here, love…"

Lily took a healthy swallow of her drink as James swigged his firewhisky.

"Ah, Ogden's. Nothing like it," sighed Sirius as he lowered his half-empty glass.

"So, you guys have fun today?" Lily inquired.

"You call that FUN?" Sirius looked appalled. "That's slave labor."

"Well, it _does_ help to not have the house looking like a clown went mad in it—and actually having things in the kitchen," Remus reasoned.

"It's life with Lily, mate," James quipped. "We're going to have to live with it. To adulthood?" He raised his glass.

"Adulthood," Lily echoed. Her green eyes sparkled as she touched his glass with her own.

"Adulthood," the rest followed. They all clinked glasses.

XXX

A/N: I continue to thank God for the blessings and love He's given us, even throughout pain, suffering, and doubt.

To my reviewers **Arista Ramabra, LupinLover99**, and **Wilty**: Thanks so much:)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Once again, I apologize for the long wait! I also apologize for the short chapter--I will do my very best to make up for it in the next one! Hope you continue to enjoy...

Chapter 4

"Yaagh! Get out!"

This was the cry that greeted the house the next morning. Hand slapped over his eyes, Sirius tore out of the bathroom before missing the top stair step and tumbling all the way down.

James appeared, carrying a plate of toast and smirking. "Ooh. You're very noisy, Padfoot."

Sirius glowered. "I ran into _your very lovely girlfriend_ in the loo—and I think she was—"

"Say what!"

"Boys." Nicole emerged from the kitchen, balancing three plates of bacon, eggs, and tomatoes. "Wait, what did you say, Sirius?"

"Honey! Let me help." Quickly relieving his girlfriend of her load, he scurried to the dining table.

Lily descended the staircase clad in mint-green robes, her dark-red hair damp. Her green eyes were narrowed at Sirius as she sat down and began spooning tomatoes onto her plate.

"Would you like to borrow some of my Gwenilda Whisp's Straight Away! Hair Cream?" Sirius asked meekly.

Lily considered for a moment. "Hmmm…maybe. But it's all right, Black. It wasn't your fault."

Suddenly, they all heard a loud tapping on the kitchen window as a sleepy Remus stumbled into the room, still in his yellow pajamas. Lily got up, gave the owl a drink, and retrieved the envelope attached.

"It's from…_Hogwarts?"_ she exclaimed when she spotted the official seal.

"They miss us already. Oh, I'm touched," James remarked.

Lily tore the envelope open and skimmed the parchment. "It's from the Headmaster," she reported. "Professor Flitwick is going on leave, and he won't be back until January. So…Professor Dumbledore wants _me_ to take over Charms while he's gone!"

"That's wonderful, Lily!" James said happily.

Even Remus had perked up. "That's really good news!"

"He says it's alright if I don't want to say at the castle—I can come home evenings and go back before breakfast," she continued.

"You get to call the teachers by their first names? Ain't it wonderful?" Sirius cheered.

This was met with silence.

"Well, it's true!" he insisted. "You could call McGonagall 'Minnie' and she can't throw you in detention!"

This elicited laughter from the group. Sirius had made that very mistake in an unforgettable Gryffindor Transfiguration lesson—calling the stern professor 'Minnie-meow' while she was standing right behind him.

"I'll try to resist the urge," Lily promised as she snatched some parchment and a quill to pen her 'yes'.

"I can't believe this—you've barely graduated a week and already you've got a job," Nicole marveled.

"Don't worry, Nic—I have a feeling Dumbledore'll be owling you next to tell you Sprout went on holiday too," James assured her.

"Or maybe Flourish and Blotts," Sirius quipped.

"I guess." Nicole looked very unsure.

"Nicole—don't worry. You'll never be out of choices, not with what you've got!" Lily said enthusiastically. "Hey, how about a celebratory shopping trip after breakfast? You get to boss Black around and make him carry your things." She waggled her eyebrows.

"Hey--oh no, honey, not you, I'll carry you if I have to—Lily!"Sirius complained.

"Not more shopping," groaned James. "Didn't we just do a whole lot of that yesterday?"

"Yes, James—but there's a difference between 'necessary' shopping and 'just-browsing' shopping. We did 'necessary' shopping yesterday. Today, we do 'just-browsing' shopping."

James looked blank.

"The basic translation is: Follow me around, watch me try on the latest robes, carry my things, don't argue, and you get a nice reward for it all at the end of the day," Remus supplied.

James ambled off, grumbling. "One of these days, Moony, you're going to write a guidebook about these things for us."

xxxxx

"Twenty Galleons for _this?"_ Lily quickly replaced the bottle-green robes with a shudder.

"It's very finely made," the clerk said smoothly. "Feel the material? And see the rich colour? Miss, it would look ever so stunning on you if you just try it on…"

"No thank you." Lily grimaced.

Nicole slung a swath of bright yellow cloth onto its hanger. "Same here."

"Why, miss?" The clerk turned her attention to Nicole.

"It wasn't quite me," the dark-haired girl replied. "Thanks anyway."

"Thank Merlin," Sirius muttered darkly as they exited the boutique. 'If you buy one more thing, I will collapse."

"Just our luck that we had to fall for a couple of compulsive shoppers," James muttered back. "Lucky Moony…getting to stay home from all this…"

After Lily had announced the shopping trip, Remus had emerged with a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ and declined, saying that he wished to have a go at the classifieds.

"Aha!" Lily stopped suddenly.

"What now?" whined James. "If it's shoes again…"

"The last one, men!" Lily quipped.

Nicole grinned and pinched Sirius's cheek. "It's your reward."

Looks of wonder came upon the boys' faces when they saw that they had stopped in front of a…_gourmet food shop_.

"Score!" they exclaimed, slapping each other high-fives.

"Pick out whatever you want, and we'll cook it for you tonight," Nicole explained.

"As a thank you for putting up with us," Lily finished.

James swept her up into his arms for a kiss. "I love you too!"

Then the two boys rushed the shelves.

xxxxx

"Dinner!" Lily called.

A loud sound that resembled a stampeding herd of rhinos burst out. Nicole had barely lowered the plate of steak to the table when she was rushed by James and Sirius.

Remus shuffled in, his face drawn.

"Is there something wrong?" Nicole asked him. "You look…odd."

James and Sirius exchanged bewilderedly panicked looks.

XXX

A/N: Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Big thanks to my reviewers **Ketta dragontamer**, **Daisy Black**, and **Wilty**!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry for the very long wait! It's been a bit of a hell month, with midterms and all, plus I had a severe case of writer's block, and then the site just wouldn't work (for me). Anyway, won't hold you up any longer…

Chapter 6

"Remus?" Lily exited the kitchen. "Something the matter?"

Sirius rushed to the window. "It can't be…"

"It's all WRONG!" the werewolf cried. He brandished the mangled _Daily Prophet_ at them.

Sirius slumped onto the couch as James peered inquisitively at the paper. The ads were encircled in red ink, then afterwards crossed out, some so violently they slashed holes in the parchment.

"Ah," the Quidditch star managed.

"Stop doing that, grumbled Sirius. "You're scaring the magic out of us." He peeked over James's shoulder. "Wait—you actually considered being _Madam Malkin's assistant?"_

Remus glared venomously at him.

"Oh Remus." Lily sighed. "Not you too."

"I'll never get a job, and I'm going to end up conducting the Knight Bus along with Ernie Prang!" he wailed.

The girls looked quite helpless—and a bit baffled.

"Either PWS or lack of protein," James muttered. "Moony, calm down and eat—you'll feel much better."

Finally, Remus sank into a proffered chair, before which Lily immediately set a plateful. He started wolfing down the contents.

"How do you feel?" she asked soothingly.

He nodded. "Pass the potatoes." This became a clear sign for everyone else to begin (and resume) eating.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Remus remarked around a mouthful of lamb chop (he was almost back to normal). "Prongs, an owl from your Uncle Bill came by earlier with a letter for you."

"Really? I haven't heard from him in a while," James quipped, sitting up straight.

"It's on the counter," Remus informed him.

James went to get it. " 'Dear James, congratulations on your graduation from Hogwarts,' " he read aloud. " 'I surmise that you must surely be looking for a job now—' "

"Yeah, right," Sirius muttered under his breath.

" 'So,' " James continued in a considerably louder voice as he shot Sirius an annoyed look, " 'I have recommended you to Hippocrates Smethwyck, a good friend and colleague of mine who, sadly, recently lost his latest Trainee Healer to a rather gruesome werewolf attack while the poor unfortunate was tending to one of his outpatients last full moon—' "

Remus cleared his throat a bit uncomfortably. Sirius patted him on the shoulder.

" 'He has been in the market for a new apprentice since, and after I mentioned you to him, thinks you would do splendidly (In return for this favor, he will be covering for me while I take an extended leave to track down Quintapeds). ' "

"_Quintapeds?"_ Lily shrieked. "Is he mad?"

"He _does_ work in Spell Damage," replied James.

Sirius snatched the letter and read aloud its conclusion. " 'Hippocrates would like to meet you tomorrow at nine in the morning for an orientation if you accept the post, and I dearly wish that you do. Simply send your reply back with Phidias, my owl, and I continue to hope that you are well. Signed, William Barnabas Potter, St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Spell Damage Healer-In-Charge.' "

James had gone to the window. "Where's the owl?"

"In the kitchen," Remus responded.

"No, it's not."

"What? Odd." The werewolf rose from his chair.

"It's not here." James lifted the cushions of the couch frantically as if expecting to find a bird stuffed down them. Lily quickly went to help James search the living room, and Nicole headed for the kitchen with Remus. Sirius, left at the dinner table, noticed something.

"Er—Prongs? Do you remember us getting any chicken?"

James looked cross. "No! Honestly, Padfoot, do try to think about more than your stomach at a time like—" He suddenly broke off as Sirius held up what looked horrifyingly like a chicken leg.

"Girls," James choked out, "how exactly did you cook dinner?"

Lily looked puzzled. "Well, we did a spell to get all the meat ready—trimmed, skinned, chopped, de-haired—" Comprehension suddenly dawned. "I must have accidentally gotten Phidias!"

"Of course," whispered Nicole, pale-faced. "The kitchen was really crowded with all the meat…and we were so distracted…"

"Phidias!" James cried. "Nobody touch the owl!"

Sirius and Remus looked extremely green. James spun, horrified.

"Moony—you didn't eat the owl, did you?"

"No!" squeaked Remus. "All I had was that side of lamb!"

James sank onto the couch. "Oh no, what am I going to do? _We cooked the owl!_ Uncle Bill will kill me!"

Sirius and Nicole were gingerly removing owl parts from the plates and placing them in a trash bag solemnly. Lily looked painfully guilty.

"James, I am so sorry—"

"It wasn't your fault," James mumbled absentmindedly.

"James—"

"It's all right," he said a bit harshly.

Lily looked wounded.

"Prongs, cool yourself," Remus warned as he came to stand beside her. "There are ways of handling this. No need to take it out on her."

James let out his breath in a huge whoosh, before sighing. "I'm sorry, Lily. I—just wasn't thinking straight."

Lily stepped into his embrace. "Forgiven. I'm sorry for being so careless."

He buried his face in her hair. "Wasn't your fault, love."

Remus, meanwhile, was pacing as the wheels in his brilliant brain turned.

"Hmmm…you people fancy a trip to Eeylops?"

xxxxx

The five pushed through the doors of the Diagon Alley shop.

"Mad kids," grumbled the wizened old shopkeeper as he staggered to the counter. "I should be in bed!"

"We're really sorry, sir, but it's a really big emergency," Nicole said.

"What did Phidias look like again?" James asked Remus as he peered at the various cages filled with soft hooting.

"Not so much in right now," wheezed the shopkeeper. "The others are off hunting."

"Horned owl," Remus responded.

"You're not being very specific, son," remarked the old man as he went through the cages. "Hundreds of horned owls. I need more details."

"Phidias was a bit young," Remus remembered. "Amber, with black spots."

"Hmmm." The shopkeeper rubbed his stubbly chin and ventured a bit further in. "I recently got a young horned owl in that fits that description. She's very well-tempered, very speedy, very accurate."

"That a bird or a weapon?" Sirius ventured.

The shopkeeper brought down a cage a few seconds later, where a beautiful owl was preening itself.

"_She?"_ James held up the cage to examine the bird.

Sirius let out a chortle. "I think she'd be more of a _Phidiasa."_

James whipped out his money bag and handed the shopkeeper payment for the owl. "Thanks again, sir." He peered at the little creature, who was now staring at him inquisitively.

"Now—let's hope Uncle Bill doesn't notice anything different."

xxxxx

James sat down at the kitchen table, writing his reply to his uncle's letter. Lily and Sirius were admiring their newly-acquired pet, who was also very friendly and playful.

"She's so cute," sighed Lily as she ruffled the owl's feathers. "I hate to give her up."

James sealed the letter. "Well, we haven't got a choice. We have to give Uncle Bill an owl back." He let the owl nibble at his finger. "Oh, I'm sorry, Phidias." The new owl hadn't really taken to her new moniker, but James had managed to convince her that it was for the best.

Sirius looked very forlorn. "I want to keep her too."

"We can always look for another owl at Eeylops if you two want," James offered. "We need a house owl anyway."

"It won't be the same," admonished Lily and Sirius at the same time.

James lifted the owl. For such a small creature, she had done something miraculous—uniting the usually-sparring pair that consisted of his best friend and his girlfriend. Sadly, he attached the letter to Phidias's leg and told her to stay with Uncle Bill. "Good bye, then, old friend."

With a soft hoot, the owl soared out the kitchen window.

XXX

A/N: I continue to give thanks to God for His wondrous works in all our lives.

To my reviewers:

you know who (i am)- Yes, I do, in fact, know who you are.

LupinLover99- I knew I had you guys with that ending! Sadly, Remus getting a girlfriend is not currently in his plans, but who knows:wink: Haha, I'm glad you like his pj's!

Arista Ramabra, Ketta dragontamer, and webling-girl05- Thanks!

Wilty- Because I can…bwahaha.

Happy Halloween, folks!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I wasn't able to find time to type this up…

Chapter 6

"Ah, this must be James!"

James smiled hesitantly as the large Healer threw open his arms in a gesture of welcome.

His uncle Bill beamed. "Yes, Hippocrates. My nephew, James Potter. He would like to fill the post as Trainee Healer under you."

"Come on, come on." Healer Smethwyck beckoned them into a ward, wherein moans and screams and unsavory scents issued.

"The Dai Llewellyn ward," boomed the Healer. "Have a look-see, Mr. Potter."

James swallowed. He had never been in the Creature-Induced Injuries section before—his mother had never let him when he was a child, and despite attempts to get himself bitten by something, anything, just to get in there, he had never succeeded.

Ah, what a sight.

"This is Leonard Smith—injured by a manticore, poor man. This lovely young lady here was burned by a Hebridean Black—an apprentice at a dragon reserve, you see." Healer Smethwyck indicated a figure bound with bandages all over with heaps of a purple paste on her face. "And over here we have…"

James was toured around and introduced to every single patient. He felt excited—this was most certainly going to be enjoyable.

"Well, James—thoughts?" Bill Potter asked as they headed to the Healers' lounge for a bit of lunch.

"It looks good, Uncle Bill," James replied. "I think I'll have no problem working here."

Uncle Bill visibly relazed. "Ah, excellent, then. Healer Smethwyck will be pleased. He likes you."

"I'm glad." James pushed open the door and was assaulted by some of the most enticing scents his nose had ever met.

Uncle Bill took a plate. "So, I told you in my letter that I'll be tracking down Quintapeds, correct?"

"Uncle, you must be joking!"

"Why not? I've already gathered a team, supplies, rations…" The older man's eyes took on a faraway glaze.

James looked blank.

"So—anything at all, you can just send me an owl. Phidias will have my reply."

James tried not to look too uncomfortable as he stabbed at his beef.

xxxxx

Remus scratched his chin with the end of his quill.

"No—that phrase isn't quite right…"

He was seated at the dining table, parchment scattered around him. Nicole blinked as she walked in with her gardening tools, after having spent the past hour tending to the footpath.

"What's all this?"

Remus quickly gathered up his things. "Nothing, Nicole."

Nicole got a piece off the floor before he could. " '_Quickening his steps, our hero could hear the loud silence of the clearing as he neared it.'"_

Remus buried his face in his hands as Nicole's eyes traveled down the parchment.

"This looks excellent, Remus? Did you write this?"

"Yes," Remus admitted in a small voice.

"Can I read the rest of it? Please?"

"No!"

"Come on, Remus…"

"No!"

"Just the first page…"

"Never."

"You know I'm not going to stop until you show it to me."

"Go right ahead—you're going to get tired anyway."

"I'm making puppy-dog eyes."

"Would you like me to help you along?" Remus twirled his wand.

"You wouldn't dare!"

"I might if you don't stop badgering me."

"Remus!"

"You are a nuisance, Greenleaf," Remus commented calmly as he snatched the parchment away from her.

"Merlin, how do I go about this—yes! You know, Remus, you're going to need an editor. Someone who can help you along, give you a little constructive criticism. Someone who can comment. I am very well-versed in these matters."

"Oh, don't even try it, miss."

"But you do, Remus!"

"Oh yeah, right. And Bartemius Crouch's son turns out to be evil."

xxxxx

Nicole surveyed the pages triumphantly as a grumpy Remus sat off to her right.

"This is a criminal offense, Greenleaf!" he squeaked as he struggled against his bindings.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll let you off when I'm done."

"Nicole!"

xxxxx

"Merlin, Remus, this has got to be the best murder mystery I have ever read!"

Remus turned a fine shade of scarlet. "Really?"

Nicole nodded. "It's gripping, it's well-paced, it's suspenseful. And you've managed to add just the right touch of humor."

Nicole had let Remus go after half an hour of being tied to the chair, when the werewolf had calmed down sufficiently. Now, they were evaluating his novel in the kitchen while Nicole made dinner.

"You didn't think my lead character was overdramatic?"

"Not at all! A wizard detective who is cursed by the bite—it's such a unique concept. Oh, I can't wait until you finish it!"

Remus looked sheepish, and quite mollified. "Alright, alright—I'm not used to having fans, you know…"

xxxxx

"You are sure they're asleep?" hissed Sirius.

"When I peeked, they were," Remus hissed back.

"Shhh!" James admonished. "We don't want them to wake them up _now, _do we?"

The three men tiptoed along the foyer.

"Careful with the door!" Remus reminded James.

Slowly, the front door was eased open and they crept out and Apparated to The Three Broomsticks, which was nursing its midnight crowd.

"Good morning, Madam Rosmerta!" James announced.

She jumped. "James Potter!" Putting down the glass she was wiping, she glared at him. "You must stop doing that!"

"Three firewhiskies, my dear," Sirius chimed in.

Madam Rosmerta rolled her eyes as she went to get the drinks. "Do the girls even know that you're out?"

"We-ell...no," Remus admitted. "But they were asleep anyway!"

"Besides, we deserve a night out for ourselves," James added.

Madam Rosmerta handed James his firewhiskies. "You boys, honestly. When are you going to be serious?"

"Maybe never," Sirius said cheekily.

xxxxx

Lily and Nicole had been looking out the window as their three housemates escaped.

"You know, we really ought to be irked that they didn't tell us a thing," Lily remarked breezily.

"Well, they do deserve a break," replied Nicole.

"Are you ready for the movies?"

"Oh, definitely. I haven't been to one in such a long time!"

Dressed in their Muggle attire, the two girls sauntered out the door and Apparated away.

XXX

A/N: To my reviewers:

**LupinLover99**- Yes, we will be seeing a full moon soon in this story…

**Arista Ramabra** and **Ketta dragontamer**- Thanks:)


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: There'll be an explanation at the end of this chapter as to why I haven't updated for so long. I hope you guys won't desert me, and now, I'm not going to make you wait any longer…

Chapter 7

Sirius let out a loud whoop as he entered the house the next morning. His friends looked up from their plates of toast, bacon, and tomato.

"You'll never guess what just happened!"

"Did you get my eggs?" Lily asked.

Sirius ignored her. "I met my old landlord down at the store, buying seeds. He told me that they were for his son, who runs a greenhouse! I mentioned that Nicole was very fond of plants, and he offered to set up a meeting!"

"Really?" Nicole's eyes widened.

"Yes, dear. It'll be tomorrow morning at nine, The Three Broomsticks."

"Did you get my eggs?" Lily repeated.

"Evans! This is a really big and important bit of—OK, no."

"Knew it."

"It's just eggs! Anyway, how about it, Nicole?"

"Of course I'd love to meet him! Thank you, Sirius!" Nicole paused. "I need to start drawing up a resume…"

"Oh, there's no need, actually. It'll just be a very casual chat. My landlord says his son doesn't really bother much with such formalities."

She beamed and threw her arms around him.

"Hey, and since the meeting's at nine, I'll be glad to accompany you there before work," James offered.

"I'd really appreciate it, James."

Lily patted Sirius on the back. "Yes, I realize how insensitive I was to your big news—but now that you're done, you can go back and get those eggs."

"It's just eggs, Evans!"

"Either you get them or you don't eat."

Sirius went off, grumbling. "Honestly…redheads…"

James tried to head off his girlfriend. "Love, you didn't have to be so bossy…"

"I'm sorry, James, but this is how I am, alright? I'm a perfectionist, I'm neurotic, and I can't help antagonizing your friend because he's the exact opposite," Lily shot back.

"You can't seriously expect me to ask Sirius to change just because you say so." James's voice was rapidly escalating.

Remus knew that tone. James, it was common knowledge, regarded Sirius as a brother, and no one disparaged who James Potter had put under his protection.

Lily was clearly unaware. "He could use it!"

"Lily…" Remus tried. James's expression was twisting into a very familiar coldness.

"Oh, sod off!" he finally yelled before storming off and out the front door.

Lily's eyes widened. "Fine!" She turned and ran upstairs.

Remus and Nicole winced as two doors slammed shut at the same time.

"Should I—" Nicole offered tentatively.

"No, I think I better." Remus sighed. "I think its best you go and get Sirius. He'll have a better idea where our recalcitrant Prongs may have gone."

She nodded quickly.

"Good luck," each wished the other.

xxxxx

Remus took a deep breath and pushed open Lily's bedroom door.

She was slumped on her bed, staring listlessly up at the ceiling.

"Lily."

She lifted her head about a centimetre from the pillow she was reclining on. "Remus."

He jumped onto the mattress at her feet. "'Oy, this is fun…"

Lily raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

He leaned closer and poked her in the ribs.

"Hey! Now you've done it…"

What ensued was a very raucous tickle fight, which Remus eventually won.

"OK," Lily gasped, clutching her stomach, "Now will you tell me what's wrong with me?"

Remus picked up one of her Muggle fashion magazines and leafed through it. "You tell me, Miss Evans."

Lily punched a pillow absently. "It was such a silly argument. And James is right…I was positively horrid to Sirius—I mean it _was _just eggs."

Remus politely waited for her to go on.

"I can't help it, Remus. There's only the five of us, in this house. We're only children, Remus! I wake up sometimes and I think, how could I have complied? How could I have agreed to do this? I felt that I had to rise up as the mother of the house."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "We _are_ legally adults, Lily. And have you forgotten that Sirius has lived on his own ever since he was sixteen, and did quite well? I hope it has not slipped your mind that he is probably more grown-up that the rest of us are. He's gone through life being forced to mature quickly. He's seen a lot more than we have. I know he seems on occasion quite flighty to you, but you must understand that this is his way of hanging on to his youth—which he understands better than anyone that we won't have forever."

"I did forget, " admitted Lily.

"Sirius irks you to rebel against you. You've done nothing but critique him ever since you and James got together." Remus stood up from the bed. "I think it is time the two of you had a nice chat to settle these issues. I as a mediator can only do so much. Nicole went to get him at the store—they should have returned by now."

Lily nodded. "And I have to apologize to James."

Remus smiled fondly. "You have a good head on your shoulders, for a redhead. Thank Merlin for that."

xxxxx

Sirius and Lily were sitting in the kitchen, at opposite sides of the counter, arms crossed.

"So," began Sirius. "You have something to tell me, Evans?"

She did not speak.

"Well in that case, I'm off then. Bye-bye."

"Black, wait!"

He did, his infamous smirk playing across the his equally famous lips. "Well?"

"Thanks for getting the eggs?"

"Gee, thanks. OK. I'll take my leave now."

Lily quickly leapt off the counter. "Look, Sirius—I'm sorry."

He looked very pleased. "For…?"

"I have been putting you down ever since I've been with James, and I never thought of how irksome I was getting. And I never took your feelings into consideration."

"Go on…" Sirius was clearly relishing this.

"I really do appreciate having you around, Black," Lily confessed.

Sirius looked incredibly self-satisfied, but he dropped the expression when he realized that Lily was getting emotional.

"Evans! You're forgiven! I promise!" He yelped as he drew her into a bear hug. "There's no actual need to cry! Evans!"

XXX

A/N: OK, the long-winded explanation I promised:

The reason why I stopped updating was for two reasons. The first one was because I felt a need to take a break from the Harry Potter world—from the Internet in general. I felt that I was getting far too addicted to the World Wide Web, and it was interfering with my schoolwork. The second was because I no longer had much enthusiasm for writing. I felt that what I was turning out was showing this, and I decided that instead of posting regularly (but with mediocre chapters), I would take a hiatus—get my head together, allow my creative juices to recharge. I spent most of these few months reading all sorts of literature (most recently classics) to get inspiration. And just this week, my "spark" returned, ready for action (funnily enough, after I read Artemis Fowl)

I actually have finished Chapter 8 already (I hope to have it up by tomorrow), and am in the middle of writing Chapter 9. I'm telling you, it feels great to be back in the game:)

And now for some long-overdue acknowledgments…

**Arista Ramabra, LupinLover99, Wilty,** and **webling-girl05**- Thanks from the very depths of my heart! (Although technically, feelings come from the amygdala, which is located in the temporal lobe of the brain…Little psych-nerd ranting there :D)

God bless, y'all!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Eventually, after being informed of Lily and Sirius's truce, James went back to the house and reconciled with Lily. The next day, he, as promised, Apparated with Nicole to The Three Broomsticks. After helping her find a table and get a drink, he had to get to the hospital.

"Good luck, Greenleaf," he told her sincerely before Disapparating with a loud pop.

Nicole was nursing a butterbeer when the young man came in.

She would have to be a robot not to gasp in awe. He was incredibly good-looking—brown hair falling into eyes that were almost golden, a half-smile tugging at his lips. He adjusted the sleeve of his rust-colored robes, and when he spotted her at the table, the half-smile widened, and the amber eyes brightened.

"You must be Miss Greenleaf," he said as he stopped before her.

Nicole had to force herself to close her gaping mouth as she nodded.

"Wait a minute for me—I'll just be getting a drink." He headed for Madam Rosmerta.

Nicole took a couple of deep breaths to compose herself, then looked with a more unbiased eye at him. He was tall—about three inches more so than James, give or take an inch. He had a very warm countenance—warm but deep, like there were so many other layers beneath. There was a silent grace to his movements, she noted as she watched him navigate the busy area.

He sat down in the seat across from her with a glass of firewhisky and flicked his hair from his eyes. "Sorry if I'm late—I ran into a bit of trouble with one of my plants, you see." He extended his hand. "My name is Adrian Wane."

Nicole took it. "It's a pleasure. I suppose you already know me—Nicole Greenleaf."

He nodded and smiled. A silence fell as they both took a moment to catch up with their beverages.

"So, you run your own greenhouse, I hear," Nicole began.

Adrian nodded. "Yeah. It was actually a partnership with a couple of good friends, but they've long since left."

"How do you keep it up on your own? It must be draining."

"It is a bit, yes. But I enjoy the company of my plants so much, I don't really mind it."

Nicole laughed. "I know what you mean. It's so nice to just sit there, talking about what going through your mind, and knowing they'll always understand you."

He looked surprised at her analogy, but not at all displeased. "Would you like to see the greenhouse?"

"Of course! I'll be glad to."

Extending his hand, he led her from the pub and out to a broomstick parked at the door. He helped her onto it before sliding on himself.

"Hold on—we've got some wind today. It's going to be a rough ride." Adrian warned her.

Nicole obediently put her arms around his waist as they took off.

xxxxx

"HAH! HAHAHAHA!" Remus crowed gleefully as Sirius got another fresh dose of foul-smelling goo in the face.

The two of them were the only ones at home—the other three being either at work or looking for work. The pair was having a ball.

Sirius swiped at his face with a towel. "I'm feeling peckish. Shall we go get something to eat?"

"Face it, Padfoot—you'll never be better than me at Gobstones." Remus smirked as he packed up the set.

As he shrugged into his robes upstairs in his room, Remus picked up his manuscript and leafed through it, smiling as he went through Nicole's scrawled comments. And for odd reason which he could not fathom, he folded up the parchment and slipped it into his robes.

xxxxx

Sirius and Remus were hunting for some food in Diagon Alley. For some reason, Hogsmeade did not appeal to them today. An interesting twist of fate, as it turned out.

"How about Sing Chi's Chinese?" Remus suggested.

Sirius shrugged. "All right. I could use a dose of his fried sweet bread." Sing Chi was a legend in wizarding-cooking circles. He was particularly well-known for his use of ancient Asian cooking techniques. No one could copy the man.

While they were on their way to the restaurant, Sirius's eyes caught sight of what appeared to be a rather run-down hair salon. In front of it was an old wizard who looked to be in his seventies. He swiped uneasily at his forehead as he attempted to reason with a polished forty-year-old wizard. Remus stopped as well when he noticed the commotion.

"What's that all about?" the werewolf muttered.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out. You go on ahead—save me a seat." Sirius strode towards the pair just as the younger man Disapparated. Remus clapped a hand on Sirius's shoulder and went on.

The old man was shaking his head and sighing as he turned back to the shop's door. Sirius tapped his shoulder.

"I couldn't help noticing—"

"We're closed," the old wizard said shortly.

"I just want to help."

"There's nothing that can be done," the old man sighed. "But I thank you for your concern."

Sirius followed him inside. The décor was very quaint and simple. Chairs lined the small space, and various hair products sat on shelves in a corner. He picked up a coconut-cream hair shine.

The old man looked surprised. "You're still here."

Sirius was in the middle of sniffing a bilberry shampoo. "What is all this?"

"Hair potions. I made them myself."

"They smell great," Sirius screwed the top back on the bottle.

"Thank you, I suppose—but what are you doing here?"

"What was that argument all about?" Sirius reclined in one of the chairs.

The aged wizard heaved a shudder. "My son-in-law. A shameless git if there ever was one. He works for the Ministry, and he threatened to shut this—" he gestured at the walls, "down."

"Why?"

"No customers, he says. A waste of land. I have a few weeks before he has the proposal approved by the Minister."

Sirius scrutinized the place. "I can work with this."

"What?"

"Sirius Black. Hogwarts. Looking for a job. Shall I consider myself hired?"

"Well, I…"

"Good. I'll return tomorrow with a plan, Mister…"

"Er, Murray."

"OK. Mr. Murray, you won't regret this." Sirius pumped his hand.

Mr. Murray mopped at his forehead, chuckling, as Sirius skipped out the door. "Kids these days…"

XXX

A/N: Sing Chi is actually inspired by a Cantonese movie I love called _God of Cookery._


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Sorry for the late update! It's almost finals week, and I wasn't able to find time to upload this. Enjoy:)

Chapter 9

Remus scratched his chin.

He was in Sing Chi's, waiting for Sirius. His manuscript lay before him on the table as he added a few more words to it.

"Excuse me, can I borrow that chili sauce?"

The brown-haired werewolf looked up to see a slightly pudgy, middle-aged wizard in bottle-green robes.

"Oh." He pushed the container over. The stranger leaned over to take it, and his eyes—twinkling sea-green orbs—fell upon the slightly crumpled sheets of parchment.

"Are you a writer, son?"

Remus quickly moved to gather his novel together. "Er, no. This is nothing."

The wizard sat down in the seat Remus had been holding for Sirius. "You know, there's nothing to be ashamed of, my boy."

Remus stopped shuffling his parchment. "Ashamed of what?"

"Your work."

He stared into his jasmine tea to avoid looking at the man. "I am not a writer, sir."

"If you say so." The stranger rose to his feet, taking the container of chili sauce with him. Remus watched him sit down at a table on the other side of the restaurant.

When he returned his attention to his own table, Remus saw that there was a scrap of parchment where the chili sauce had been.

"What's that?"

He looked up. Sirius had finally arrived. The handsome black-haired boy drew up a chair and grabbed the hand-lettered menu.

Remus studied the parchment. "_ 'Navin E. Ross. Shrouded in Mystery Books.'"_

Sirius tore his face from a very tantalizing picture of lemon chicken. "An agent? Since when do you write, Moony?"

Remus squirmed with discomfort as a waiter came up.

"Two orders—make that four—of the fried sweet buns, two large orders of lemon chicken, five orders of vegetable dumplings, two large orders of sweet-and-sour pork…and four bowls of fried rice." Sirius peered over the top of the menu. "Anything else, Moony?"

"A large order of salt-and-pepper spareribs," Remus told the waiter. "And another pot of jasmine tea."

"So," Sirius continued as he handed the menu to the waiter, "Since when did you become an author?"

"I'm not, Padfoot."

"Then why were you given that? And what's with all the parchment?"

Remus realized that he had not finished putting away his manuscript.

Sirius grinned. "Hand it over, Moony."

Knowing there was no way out of this, Remus surrendered the parchment over.

xxxxx

"Not bad," remarked Sirius as he lifted a piece of pork to his mouth.

"Don't drip any on it! Watch the sauce!" squeaked Remus as he rushed to protect his manuscript.

Sirius waved Remus away carelessly. "Don't worry, chum. I won't let anything happen to your precious story."

Remus picked up the last dumpling. "Do you honestly think it's good?"

"Moony Moony Moony. Do I lie?"

"Yes."

"Alright, well, I'm not. You really ought to take that agent up on his offer."

"I really don't know, Padfoot. I merely dabbled in this for fun. It's never even come to mind as a possible life's work."

"What of it?" Sirius looked baffled. "It's not a bad life—working at your leisure, an excuse to daydream all the time, good money…"

"It's such a gamble, Padfoot. If my work doesn't sell, I'll be on hard times. I need something I count on. I need stability."

Sirius pointed a chopstick at him. "Even if it means being _Madam Malkins's assistant_? Moony, you should put a hold on the "practical" for once in your life. Do what you want to do, instead of always what's safe."

Remus fingered the scrap of parchment. "Maybe. I'll consider it. My manuscript?"

Sirius smirked and slipped it into his own pocket. "You're not getting away with this, my friend. I'm making sure Prongs gets a look at this. Honestly, for hiding—and attempting to lie about—your writing, we ought to set you loose this full moon…"

Remus paled. "You'll do no such thing!"

"And I'll make sure Lily sees this, and Nicole…"

"Nicole already has," Remus pointed out sullenly.

"Oh. Wait, how come _she_ knows and _I_ don't?" Sirius's eyes narrowed.

"Because she caught me writing Chapter Twenty-seven and lashed me to a chair so she could read it. I swear, Padfoot, that woman of yours gets more and more like you everyday."

"A fact that I'm very proud to hear," mused Sirius. "She's got to be my best work."

"Bad influence," grumbled Remus as he signaled the waiter for the bill.

Sirius removed his money bag and counted out some Sickles. "I pay today. Think of it as your first commission."

"What took you so long anyway?" Remus wanted to know as they pushed through the doors into the bright sunlight. "What happened with that man?"

"Well…that _does _bring me to my next agenda…"

xxxxx

"_Shopping?"_ Remus yelped.

"It's for good cause, Moony," Sirius replied. He had just told his friend the whole story, and he was determined to get started on the renovation of the salon.

Unfortunately, Remus was positively allergic to the act of shopping. He abhorred it almost as much as he did the full moon.

"I'm going home!" Remus announced. "Goodbye, Pad—yeow!"

For Sirius had grabbed him by the scruff of his neck before he could Apparate. "Moony, I'm going to need your help."

"Exactly WHY?"

"You're brilliant, you have a good eye, and if you'd been with me and Prongs when we were decorating the house, you might've helped me convince him to not go with bright-orange walls."

"You weren't any better than him."

"See? That's why I need you!"

"Padfoot…"

"It's for a greater good. Think about it—you will henceforth be known as 'The Wizard Who Saved the Greatest Salon in the Wizarding World'."

"That's a rather long title."

"All you have to do is look at bits of paper and colors and help me decide which is the best."

Remus threw up his hands. "Fine. But I promise you, Paddy, that I will be complaining loudly and eloquently all throughout."

Sirius considered and decided it was a small price to pay. "We have an accord."

XXX

A/N: Chapter 10 is already written, but I might be redoing parts of it—so it might be a while before it'll be up.

To **Wilty**- Thanks! I was pretty relieved that you reviewed—I'd thought I was forgotten, haha. As for the greenhouse guy…well, we'll see how he turns out, bwahaha…

God bless:)


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hey, I'm back! Sorry if I took a while—I've just spent the last week positively DROWNING in finals and final projects…At last it's all over and I'm enjoying the first day of our three-week summer break. Enjoy:)

Chapter 10

"Soak that bandage in the bubotuber juice!"

James rushed to the medicine shelf, grabbing the bottle of goldish-green liquid.

Healers and aides at St. Mungo's were advised not to use the Summoning Charm to get what they needed unless it was absolutely urgent and necessary. With all the activity going around inside the hospital, you never knew who you might accidentally wallop. Sliding a cloth bandage into the juice, James hurried it back to Healer Smethwyck.

The heavyset wizard pressed the bandage against the swelled, bumpy arm of a young witch.

"The phlox ointment!"

James got the tube, and as Healer Smethwyck patted the patient's arm dry with a soft towel, he slathered on the gelatinous, blue potion. The swelling slowly went down.

Healer Smethwyck mopped at his forehead as they waved the girl and her parents off. "Good job, James! I've not had a more efficient and adept Trainee Healer since Doris Kelp in 1890! She went off to work in Africa—fine goal, to be sure, but I had hoped she would stay on to succeed me…But no matter! That's the past! Shall we celebrate your first formal Healing with a cuppa at the lounge?"

James agreed heartily.

xxxxx

Lily breathed in deeply as she entered the Charms classroom at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for her orientation as a teacher. Who'd've thought that she would be back there not even a week after she'd left it?

Professor Flitwick let out a squeak that the students had always perceived as excitement. "Miss Evans! You're here already! 'Course, I shan't be surprised…"

"I'm eager to return, Professor," Lily responded happily. The Charms teacher had always been a wonderful mentor to her.

"There's no need to address me so formally now," Professor Flitwick remarked. "You're a teacher, like I am. You may call me Filius."

"I imagine that this was the only part of your appointment Mr. Black found advantageous," interjected Professor McGonagall, who had come striding into the room with a roll of parchment.

"As always with regards to him, Professor, you are not wrong." Lily laughed. After having spent seven eventful years rife with pranks, detentions, and the occasional threatened expulsion, the Transfiguration expert knew the Marauders like the back of her hand—perhaps even more so.

"It is a relief indeed to know that you have not heeded his advice to call me 'Minnie'."

Professor Flitwick guffawed. "That's a good one, _Minnie_. I'll make sure to mention it at the next staff meeting."

Professor McGonagall snorted. "Go ahead, Doc."

Lily felt more than a little surprised and embarrassed as right in front of her, her two most-respected professors duked it out—with Disney.

"Don't look so appalled," remarked Professor Flitwick when he noticed his former student's expression. "We've spent a rather large amount of time together, and while teachers we may be, we do 'cut loose' once in a while—let our hair down."

"For those who have hair," supplied Professor McGonagall.

Professor Flitwick ignored her pointedly.

"This makes it so much easier for me to call you Minnie," Lily quipped without thinking.

The two professors stared at her.

"Hark! Is it James Potter come to manifest before us?"

Lily attempted to backtrack. "I'm sorry—I didn't—"

Professor McGonagall shook her head and gave a martyred sigh. "We should've known."

xxxxx

They showed her into the teachers' lounge after a long day of touring. Professor Flitwick brought over three cups, and with a tap, filled them with hot, steaming tea.

The professors had spent a good few hours familiarizing her with the castle's security measures. They had revealed to her the codes of certain emergency exits, and Lily had to hide a smirk when it was revealed that the Marauders still knew a good more secret passageways.

"Tomorrow, we can get started on the lesson plan," promised Professor Flitwick as he downed his tea.

Lily agreed heartily.

xxxxx

Nicole was staring around at the smallest greenhouse she had ever been in.

Adrian reappeared, carrying a pot. A mass of apple-green vines whipped about.

"Is that a Devil's Snare?" she inquired.

He nodded. "A mutant Devil's Snare, actually. It was found a couple of weeks ago in my dad's neighbor's shed."

"Did you know how it got there?" She edged forward to peer at the plant.

"No." He suddenly pulled the pot back as its vines shot out. "Easy. Sorry, it's very temperamental."

"It looks to be still quite young."

"And territorial, and wary of strangers. It took most of those two weeks for this little plant to stop trying to strangle me." He chuckled. "It's my top priority as of now."

"Have there been any displays of unusual behavior? Unusual for a Devil's Snare, at least…"

"Not really. But then, as you said, it's still young."

The vines whipped around Adrian's arm. "Oh—it's getting cranky. I had better put it back before it gets too agitated. Go ahead—you can look around." Taking care to remove the vines from his limb, he took the pot to the back of the greenhouse.

Nicole busied herself by going around. She noted a Venomous Tentacula, bubotubers, a box labeled Devil's Snare, and other plants she knew were labeled dangerous in Herbology circles. However, amidst these were puffapods, large tropical flowers, and young Mandrakes—all of which glowed with good health. She was deeply impressed by Adrian's work—and what it revealed of him. Only a gentle man could cultivate such a peaceful atmosphere even amongst such potentially-dangerous plants.

"Can you start tomorrow?"

She jumped in surprise as his deep voice interrupted her examination of a brilliant pink flower that twitched as it slept.

"What?"

He repeated himself. "You have a presence here that I feel will be very beneficial—for me and the plants."

She nodded when his amber eyes sought her eagerly. "OK…you'll see me."

xxxxx

"Any more owl in this?" quipped Sirius as Lily set a platter on the table.

She stuck her tongue out at him, but grinned when James instinctively paled.

Remus sat down, chewing the end of a quill in his mouth.

"Moony, I know you're hungry, but in case you don't know this, eagle-feather quills aren't exactly edible," James pointed out.

"I'm thinking, Prongs—which is something I'm still not sure you can do very well…"

"Now, now, chum, there's no need for such language," James shot back calmly as he brushed some invisible lint from his old scarlet Gryffindor Quidditch robes. "Just because I hung you by your ankles…"

The whole table burst out laughing, except Remus.

After Sirius and Remus came home earlier that evening, Sirius had immediately broken the news about Remus's secret novel-writing, and James had hung him upside-down while he read the manuscript.

"Don't worry, Moony—I don't think the girls laughed too hard at your book-patterned boxers," Sirius said cheerfully.

XXX

A/N: If any of you thought the professors were OOC, well, one thing I've learned from my high school days is that teachers are never what you think they are—they can really surprise you when they're not in a classroom. :)

The spell James used on Remus is indeed _Levicorpus._

To my reviewers:

**Arista Ramabra**- Thanks! I'm sorry for the lack of humor—I'm still trying to find my footing in this story, you see, and I'm kind of just letting it flow… :)

**Wilty**- Wow, I'm touched :blush:

God bless, y'all!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: I'm sorry, people! I have been enjoying my vacation far too much and completely forgot to write! Anyway, just a warning: This chapter focuses on the romance aspect of the fic, with just the tiniest touch of suspense, and maybe a splash of comedy…Enjoy!

Chapter 11

"Boo!"

Sirius jumped as a pair of hands covered his eyes. The familiar, earthy smell of flowers and soil wafted into his nose, and he immediately knew. "Hello, honey."

Nicole withdrew her hands and sat down beside him, peering inquisitively at the parchment he had scattered all over the once-pristine dining table. "Are you alright?"

He looked at her quizzically. "Yes—why would you think otherwise?"

She fiddled for a moment with her long brown hair. "You've been distracted all night."

"I have?"

"At supper, you weren't nearly as rambunctious as you usually are, and you haven't even asked me how my meeting went."

"Oh." Sirius stared at his feet, embarrassed. Normally, he would have been asking for the details of the meeting the moment she came home. Even though she would never show it, he knew she was slightly wounded by this oversight.

Dropping his quill and wrapping his hand around her free one, he gave her his full attention. "I'm sorry, love—how did it go? Are you officially a greenhouse-keeper now?"

She beamed, all traces of hurt vanishing. Sirius felt relieved. If there was one thing he loved about his girlfriend, it was her ability to forgive and forget easily.

"Yes. The greenhouse is absolutely beautiful, even though it's far smaller than the ones we're used to in Hogwarts. And my employer is not bad at all—he really loves plants, and right now, I'm helping him with a mutant Devil's Snare he found in a neighbor's shed."

His face creased with concern. " A Devil's Snare?"

"Don't worry, Sirius—it was very young, and Adrian kept it far enough away from me," she laughed.

"That's him—the son?"

She nodded.

"Well. He had better do a very good job of keeping dangerous plants away from you, or I will feed him to them," Sirius declared.

"Sirius!" She swatted him on the arm, grinning.

His face softened. "It looks like you're doing very well. I'm glad you've found a job you like."

She moved to stand behind him, and from there wrapped her arms around his neck, lowered her head so that her cheek met his. "You seem busy yourself. Enlighten me?"

"Well," Sirius began, excitement creeping into his voice, "I have a job."

"Really?" Nicole's eyes sparkled. "That's excellent! Where? What?"

He told her about Mr. Murray, how they'd met, and what Sirius planned to do with the salon.

"Are you sure, though?" she asked him teasingly. "I saw how good you were with the house."

"This was before Remus got involved. I got him to help me plan."

"I trust you," she responded, planting a kiss on his cheek. "And I am incredibly proud of you for rendering such a selfless service to someone you hardly even know."

Sirius basked happily in her support. "I love you."

She flushed scarlet. "If you let me see those plans, maybe I can help."

He kissed her soundly before passing her the parchment.

"OK, I think that the couches have to go _here…"_

xxxxx

Adrian Wane was closing up his greenhouse for the night when he saw it. An envelope. With the infamous seal. A sheen of sweat broke out on his upper lip as he picked it up and scanned the contents.

His almost-golden eyes flashed.

He wasn't going to give in. Ever.

xxxxx

"Boo."

James grabbed Lily from behind as she was putting dishes away. She squealed and just barely kept from dropping a plate.

"James." She fixed him with a stern look.

"What?" he mumbled, as he buried his face in her hair. "I feel like I haven't spent enough time with you since forever."

"James, we live in the same house," she pointed out. "And I just saw you at dinner."

"Was it only dinner?" he whispered in her ear. She closed her eyes, allowing him to nuzzle her neck.

"It feels like ages," he murmured into her shoulder.

She turned her head and met his lips.

_Bonk. Bang._

"EEAAGH!"

They broke apart suddenly, the plate crashing to the floor.

"I'm OK!" came a muffled voice that was unmistakably Remus's from behind a now-fallen easy chair.

"What's with all the ruckus?" Sirius wanted to know as he strolled into the living room.

"Sirius—" Lily cried.

"Padfoot!" James yelled at the same time.

"Too late," muttered Remus painfully.

_Bonk. Bang._

James and Lily could only cringe as Sirius tripped over Remus's body and was pitched headfirst into the easy chair.

"Oof!" squeaked Remus.

Sirius groaned. "What were you lying on the floor for?"

xxxxx

"I think my back got thrown out," groaned Sirius as he shifted on the couch.

"My poor darling," Nicole cooed as she cradled his head on her lap.

"What are you going to do to help me feel better?" Sirius waggled his eyebrows.

"Comb, please."

Sirius grinned and pulled one from the pocket of his jeans. "Thank you, love."

She began picking expertly through the tangles in his black hair, then carefully running the comb through until the hair was absolutely smooth.

Sirius's eyes began to flutter shut. "This is very comfortable."

"You say that every time."

"That's because it's true. You have excellent hands." His eyes twinkled. "And the best lap."

She reached her fingers into his hair and gave a playful yank.

"My hair!" he cried, sitting up quickly and patting down the strands. "Now you're in for it."

He trapped her against the corner of the couch.

"Release me, you brute," Nicole demanded, giggling.

"Not a chance," Sirius growled. "You've committed the ultimate sin: Messing up my hair. Prepare to be punished."

Their noses had just barely touched when they heard a throat being cleared.

"Excuse me, cuddlepuff and pookiebear. Wolfiepoo would like to watch the news."

Sirius groaned in exasperation as he sat back and flicked on the specially-enchanted TV James and Lily had received from their parents as a joint graduation present.

"You have such perfect timing, Moony," he grumbled sourly.

"Thank Merlin for that," sighed Remus. "Popcorn?"

XXX

A/N: The mushy nicknames are inspired by my best friend.

To my reviewers:

**Wilty**- Well, I'll leave you hanging with a little tidbit about his past…Mwahaha. Thanks!

**JosephineTay**- Thank you very much! I'm glad you're pleased. Yeah, I think that line sums up a lot about James and Lily's relationship, haha.

**Aly**- Thanks! Normally, I try to have one chapter up every week. :)

**LupinLover99**-Hey, you're back:hug: Yes, I intend to make Remus Lupin the cutest character to ever sail fanfiction seas…

**flower123** and **Prongs76**- Thanks:)

God bless y'all:)


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Sorry for the late update! I have been absolutely lazy…. Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 12

Sirius struggled to crack one eye open.

Seven a.m. on a Sunday. Why was he up at seven a.m. on a _Sunday_?

He groaned and began to roll over to get back to sleep when it hit him with tremendous force.

_SUNDAY!_

"Blimey!" he yelled, leaping out of bed. "Mmmf!"

A pillow caught him full in the face. James, bleary-eyed and very annoyed, was sitting up on his bed, another pillow in hand.

"Do that again, Padfoot, and this turns into a Dungbomb."

"It's Sunday!" Sirius screeched.

"Yes—it's supposedly a day of _rest—_which you have effectively ruined for me now."

Sirius had scrambled to the closet and pulled out a white sheet, which he struggled to pull on.

"What is it—with this—ruddyrobe?"

With a deep sigh, James picked up his wand from the bedside table and gave it a wave. A set of black robes soared out of the open closet and started hitting Sirius about the head and shoulders.

"Thanks, mate," gasped Sirius as he threw aside the sheet and shrugged on the robes.

"What in Merlin's name are you on?" James demanded, now completely appalled as Sirius began slathering toothpaste into his hair.

"Nicole's father is coming today! Did you forget? Galloping gargoyles—I haven't got his puffskein!"

"That's what you get for making random promises. Padfoot, calm down," James instructed.

"What the bloody hell is the matter with you lot?" came a venomous hiss. Sirius and James jumped.

Remus stalked into the room, his brown hair askew and his yellow pajamas rumpled. "D'you want to wake the whole village?"

"Our dear Padfoot apparently forgot that his lovely girlfriend's father is coming to visit us today. Now he has to rustle up a puffskein before Mr. Greenleaf gets here," James supplied cheerfully. "So all in all, nothing to worry about, Moony."

"Are they girls awake?" Sirius suddenly looked panicked. "Oh gods…Nicole will kill me if she realizes I didn't remember…"

"Well, when I put my ear to the door, they weren't stirring," Remus offered reassuringly.

"Eavesdropping on the girls, Moony? I expected better of you!" James quipped.

Remus shot him a dirty look. "Now's not the time, Prongs."

He thought for a moment. "Well, we're not going to be able to get one here in Hogsmeade—I know for a fact that Perkins's Home for Adorable Magical Pets isn't open at this hour. Too bad though, their puffskeins are world-class."

"As dinner?" James inquired, his hazel eyes twinkling wickedly.

"_Silencio!"_ two voices muttered at the same time.

"As I was saying," Remus continued, "we may have to go to the Magical Menagerie in Diagon—although I'm not sure if they're open, so we might have to wake the witch up. What say you, Padfoot?"

Sirius shuddered. "I'll take my chances with the witch. Perkins might set that monstrous Crup of his on me."

Remus started to head back to his room to get dressed, then he stopped, staring at Sirius's head. "Um, Padfoot?"

"What?"

"You might want to do something about all that toothpaste in your hair..."

He suppressed a mirthful laugh as Siriusscreeched in horror and ran for the bathroom.

xxxxx

"Out, you bothersome twits!"

Remus went flying out the door, landing on his rump. Sirius came tumbling out a second later, sliding across the pavement on his stomach.

"That landing's about a five on my scale—your aim was a bit off, Paddy," quipped James.

Remus got to his feet, his eyebrows raised. "What the—"

Sirius leapt up, a grin spreading across his dirt-smeared face. "Is that—"

James gave the cage in his hand a little wiggle. "I could've told you that old Perkins liked me if you hadn't silenced me."

"Prongs, this is excellent! I owe you one!" Sirius grabbed the cage and poked its round, furry, custard-colored occupant.

"You may kiss my hand," smirked James. "As for what you owe me…"

xxxxx

"_Scourgify!"_ Nicole pointed her wand at a dirty spot on the wall. "Well, that takes care of it. Lily, how's the cooking coming along?"

The two girls had been sprucing up the house for the past half-hour. It looked stunning, if Nicole would say so herself, and was filled with some very appetizing smells.

"Where are those boys?" Lily grumbled as she exited the kitchen to give the living room a once-over. "They ought to be in here helping."

Nicole smirked. "Knowing Sirius, he's probablybeen banging down pet store doors since six to find out if they can get hima puffskein."

A loud scream stopped the conversation.

Nicole rushed to the door and threw it open. On the doorstep stood her horrified father. "_What on earth is this squalor?"_

"Dad, you may calm down. This is just a charm—see?" She flicked her wand, waiting for the illusion to melt away. It didn't.

"Uh-oh."

"Ahem…"

"Um, Lily? The illusion's not wearing off."

Lily came to the door and flicked her wand. "What did those boys do?"

"Girls…"

"Lily!" James came sprinting up the steps. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Remus and Sirius, his face smeared with dirt,stealthily sneaking around to the back of the house, a cage with a custard-colored, round object inside.

"Sorry, sir,"James panted. "The house has an anti-Muggle charm on it—allow me." He muttered something under his breath and jabbed his wand at the door. Immediately, the illusion fell away.

"By George, this looks wonderful!" Mr. Greenleaf gazed in awe at the house's transformation. "Your magic never fails to amaze me…"

He gave his daughter a hug and entered the house just as Remus and Sirius came strolling casually downstairs, trying to pretend they'd been in the house all along.

"Preparing your puffskein for its new master, sir!" Sirius said jovially as he presented the cage to Mr. Greenleaf.

Lily let out a loud and very fake cough.

"Excellent!" Mr. Greenleaf stuck a finger through the bars and patted his new pet.

Remus, meanwhile, was sniffing the air. "Is something burning?"

All eyes went to Lily.

"Lunch!" she cried, running for it.

xxxxx

"Well, this isn't the way I was expecting lunch to go," Lily said meekly as she put down her fork.

"Don't worry, love—the smoke will clear up soon," James replied happily as he dug into his chocolate ice cream.

"No worries, Lily—I don't mind!" said Mr. Greenleaf enthusiastically. "This place is marvelous! What do you call this wonderful drink?"

"Butterbeer, Dad," Nicole answered, smiling.

"Would you like to try some firewhisky next, sir?" Sirius offered, holding up his glass. "I can get it for you."

"Sirius, don't teach my dad to drink!"

"Now, dear…" Mr. Greenleaf nodded vigorously. "Let's go, Sirius—who is that?" He pointed in the direction of the bar.

"That's…Madam Rosmerta. She owns this place."

"She has…very nice hair." Mr. Greenleaf coughed.

"Father." Nicole said evenly.

"I'll get the drink." Sirius swept away from the table quickly.

"I'll go with you!" Mr. Greenleaf jumped up, interrupting Nicole mid-lecture, and hurried off after him.

xxxxx

"And furthermore, it is sick and wrong and…Father, are you listening to me?" Nicole demanded.

Sirius laughed. "Honey, let him off. He clearly isn't."

Her father was, in fact, listening with rapt attention to Hagrid, whose hut they had visited next after tearing Mr. Greenleaf away from the bar.

"Oh, I've heard a lot about those hiwopiffs! Can I see them? How high do they fly? How fast?" he asked.

Hagrid looked extremely flattered that someone was so interested in his magical creatures. "Righ' this way…"

xxxxx

"Did you enjoy yourself, sir?" Remus asked as they stepped out of The Leaky Cauldron and headed for a bus stop.

It was really an unnecessary question. Mr. Greenleaf's arms were loaded with souvenirs from Hagrid, The Three Broomsticks, Zonko's Joke Shop, Honeydukes, a piece of wood torn from the Shrieking Shack, and he was wearing an expression akin to that of a child's on a sugar high.

"Most definitely!" he chirped. "Astounding, really…the way wizards cope with not having electricity!"

Nicole, who still looked disgruntled, stepped forward and gave her dad a hug. "I'm glad you had fun."

"Of course, I had fun! Any time with my daughter and this wonderful company she keeps is fun. Now, dear, you take good care of yourself." He patted his daughter on the head.

"You can rest assured, Dad." She beamed.

"You had best watch over my little girl, Sirius," Mr. Greenleaf warned him. "Take care, James, Remus, and Lily!"

"Take care, sir," they replied in unison.

"Oh, hear comes my bus! Goodbye!"

They waved until the bus turned a corner and went out of sight.

Nicole leaned her head against Sirius's shoulder. "I'm going to miss him."

"Any time you do, just tell me and I'll Apparate him over," Sirius promised.

The five teenagers smiled and, with five successive pops, vanished from the pavement.

XXX

A/N: I've just recently noticed that I've spent 12 chapters on events that occurred in just one week! So that this story will not turn into a hundred-chapter one, starting from the next chapter, the pacing is going to pick up. But don't worry, I will continue to deliver romance, comedy, and maybe a little bit more for you all :)

To my reviewers:

**Prongs76**- Thanks! And God Bless on that essay :)

**flower123**- Haha, thanks! My best friend almost died when she found out I used them here although she did okay it.

**Arista Ramabra**- Thanks:) I'll be happy to take you up on that offer—I had a couple of friends who used to act as my editors, but aside from going to a different college from mine, one got a boyfriend while the other I told to focus on her studies…

**LupinLover99**- I included something in this chapter just for you—I hope you spot it :) Don't worry, we'll see Remus getting a date or two ;)

**JosephineTay**- Thanks:) Yes, the mystery of our greenhouse owner intensifies…

God bless, y'all! My prayers are with you :)


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: I am so very sorry for the delay. My second year at college has gotten very hectic, and I've just spent the past month helping to plan a surprise birthday party for one of my best friends, so I haven't been to visit this site in ages—although this chapter was written months ago. Enjoy, and you have permission to throw things at me :D

Chapter 13

Remus grinned at the huge pile of Galleons in his money bag.

When Mr. Ross had handed him the velvet pouch inquiring, "Is fifty Galleons going to be enough for your advance, Mr. Lupin?" Remus had nearly keeled over. He had never in his life seen so much gold presented to him. And the thought that this money was all his filled him with a giddy feeling.

As he always did when he got his hands on some money, Remus sent off half to his mother, including a letter detailing where it had come from. He felt sure she wouldn't disapprove—she had always told him to go where he wanted in life.

He stopped off at Gringotts to deposit the rest of the gold in his account, and headed back to the house.

"I'm home!" he yelled as soon as he entered.

The place was utterly silent.

He found a note Lily had left on the kitchen table, saying she had gone to shop for some supplies in preparation for the start of the school year. And he remembered that the salon was up and running, so Sirius was now out as well.

He sank down on the couch, feeling a little disappointed. It was one of the rare times he got good news, and he didn't have anyone to tell it to.

xxxxx

It was one of Lily's last free days before she would be returning to Hogwarts. She'd spent most of it shopping for things she'd need for her tenure as professor, and this was the last stop before heading back.

A bell tinkled as she pushed open the doors of Whittle's Quill Shop. She browsed through the displays before picking out a pretty blue-gray one and getting in line.

"You're a Hogwarts student, aren't you, dear?" asked a middle-aged witch in shocking glittery pink robes in front of her.

"Actually, I'm the new Charms professor," Lily replied.

The woman's thickly-painted face brightened. "Oh, this is wonderful! You'll get to meet my daughter! She's starting at Hogwarts this year, and she's remarkably brilliant and talented—all her tutors have told me so! I hope you lot can teach her something though—there's nothing she can't do! I'm sure you'll adore, she's just like a little princess!"

Lily smiled painfully and tried to look interested.

When it was finally her turn at the counter, the clerk wrapped up her purchase—the added a couple of bottles of Self-Replenishing Ink and five new quills.

"Excuse me, I didn't—"

"There's no charge, don't worry," the clerk assured her. "Trust me, miss—you're going to need it. Whatever that lady in front of you told you—think the opposite."

Lily swallowed hard as what she was getting herself into hit her. Her stomach began to churn.

"Watch out," the clerk finished. "Next!"

xxxxx

Sirius picked under his fingernails.

Mr. Murray looked up gloomily from the scissors he was polishing. "So what do we do now, Mr. Black?"

The salon looked great. The renovation had turned the rundown little place into a bright, very modernized version. But one thing hadn't changed.

The place was still empty.

"Doesn't _anyone_ get their hair cut?" Sirius grumbled.

" I knew I shouldn't have let you turn this place 'modern'," muttered his boss. "They don't even recognize it anymore, probably."

"Relax, sir—you won't regret this design," Sirius replied. "Just be patient. They'll come rushing in any minute now."

Another twenty of those passed.

"Any minute now," Sirius repeated lamely.

"Let's face it—no one's coming in today." Mr. Murray reached for his cloak. "Let's just close up and go home."

"We're not giving up." Sirius stood up. "You stay here."

Desperate times called for desperate measures. He marched out onto the streets and pasted his most charming smile on his face. Just as he hoped, a lot of female heads started turning.

It was a bit cheap, but what the heck.

He stopped a young witch in pale yellow robes and asked for her name.

"P-Patricia," she stuttered, her face turning bright red.

"Patricia, you have an absolutely beautiful face—and I would love to help you accentuate that even more." He gestured to the salon. "Would you like to avail of our services?"

"I-I…" She went an even deeper red. "Alright."

"Excellent." He started to walk her towards the door of the salon.

"Do my hair!" came a yell.

"I've got an important function to attend tonight—do mine!"

Sirius grinned. His plan was working perfectly.

"Easy, ladies!" he laughed. "There's enough time for everyone. If you'll come with me…"

Mr. Murray's eyebrows rose sharply and his jaw dropped when his young employee reentered the salon with a gaggle of girls—both young and old.

"You are cheap," he muttered.

"As long as it brings in business," Sirius replied under his breath.

It was a scene Mr. Murray had always dreamt of as he swept from customer to customer, Sirius throwing him scissors and combs and helping to apply products. By closing time, they practically had to push the last customer out the door.

"You are cheap," repeated a tired but exhilarated Mr. Murray.

"Relax, sir. See how they all liked what you did with them? And word is going to spread, and you'll never have to think of going out of business again. It may have been my charm and good looks that got them here, but it's your styling that will make them come back," Sirius reassured his boss.

Mr. Murray attempted to scowl, but he found that he could not manage much of one. Instead he turned to Sirius and threw a broom at him.

"Well, start earning your keep! I'm not paying you to sit around, you know!"

XXX

A/N: I know this chapter's a bit short--sorry. I'll make up for it in later chapters. :)

To my reviewers:

**LupinLover99**- Yes, it was definitely the yellow pajamas :lol: And I think you'll like the next chapter as well...

**Arista Ramabra**- I'm glad I made your day:)

**flower123**- I know, isn't it cute:lol: He's kind of based on my best friend's dad.

**Nikki**- :P

**Prongs76**- Thanks:) And how I wish I had no school...I'm dying here.

Next up is very intense, action-and possibly-comedy-filled chapter...what happens once a month?


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